One person died after a car collided with the median strip and a truck on the Southern Motorway near Pokeno early this morning.

The crash happened at about 4.35 am.

The southbound lane of the motorway was closed between the Razorback Rd and Nikau Rd interchanges and diversions were in place.

The police serious crash unit is investigating.

It is the first death of the Labour Weekend road toll period.